“Drill down to the root of any issue with a high-level and outside-the-box look at the proliferation of office jargon in today’s modern workplace.” This sentence contains no fewer than four separate examples of how office jargon has become so pervasive in workplaces across the nation. It is simply too easy to adopt so many of today’s catchy sayings and clever phrases . from low-hanging fruit to top of the funnel. Those who do so are occasionally able to create new, trendy marketing jargon that speaks to the nation. The infographic below provides a high-level look at some of the most common office jargon meanings and insights that have really “moved the needle” in recent times. Oh wow, there we go again!

Read More

When it comes to office jargon, there are those who know how to handle themselves, and there are those who simply cannot hold back on the opportunity to “synergistically drill down” to the “root of the problem.” While marketing jargon and clever workplace sayings are often quite conveniently and accurately used to describe a situation or concern, there is a certain level of moderation that must be used. Otherwise, interactions become a back and forth battle of who can come up with the catchier sayings first. So take some time and really dive into some of the more common office phrases heard today . you may avoid the embarrassment of running an oft-overused saying up the flagpole at your next business meeting.

Keep in mind that there are some benefits to using new phrases to describe activities that are essentially routine tasks around the office. For example, providing your direct reports with a “to-do” list is great, but doesn’t it sound much more powerful to provide an action-item report? Imagine asking your direct reports if they have “completed the to-do list,” versus inquiring whether they’ve “completed the action item report.” The latter simply sounds more powerful and worthy of their attention. In the past you may have answered a request from a supervisor with “I’m not sure, let me find out,” but think of how much more tuned-in you’ll sound when you reply with “I’m not sure, but let me drill down and uncover the answer.”

Office jargon, while often comical in its overuse, can help to create improved communication within the workplace because many of the sayings invoke greater emotion than simply describing a task alone. The next time you decide to ascertain a co-worker’s bandwidth prior to assigning a low-hanging fruit task, you may want to first consider whether they have all of their ducks in a row. Ultimately, office jargon is here to stay . so uncover jargon meaning of both new examples and classic standbys with the Office Jargon Infographic from National Pen.

Tis the season for White Elephant gift exchanges, and work is no exception! If your office has decided to exchange White Elephant gifts this year, you may be on the hunt for one-of-a-kind, funny gift ideas to make for the best year yet. Whether you are looking for nifty gadgets, silly office items, or embarrassing gifts that make for priceless coworker expressions, you can find some fun options in the NEW infographic Funny White Elephant Gift Ideas for the Office by National Pen.

From the Pillow Tie to the Shark Stapler to the Flask Scarf, this infographic displays some practical and yet funny White Elephant gifts. It also goes through a brief history of the White Elephant and how the game came to be. And, for those who need a refresher on how the game as played . as it’s likely to have been a year since your office last played . we list the most common set of rules.

Many offices choose the White Elephant . a fun, light-hearted gift exchange . for good reason. Celebrating the holiday cheer in an office setting isn’t always easy. Buying gifts for all your coworkers is expensive, and leaving some people out just doesn’t seem in line with the giving season. Also, Secret Santa gift exchanges can be difficult if employees aren.t well acquainted with each other.

Whether you already have a White Elephant gift exchange organized or are looking to initiate office holiday festivities, this infographic should give you funny office gift ideas to get the snowball rolling!

Post this on your site (Embed Code):

If you’re looking for holiday gifts for clients, check out our promotional business gifts! From pens to flashlight keychains, mugs to wine glasses, bottle chillers to wine bottle bags, we have variety for you to pick from! Visit http://www.pens.com/gifts.

It isn’t often that a vendor is reached out to by thousands of people who are directly interested in their product or service. In fact, companies wish to find themselves in such situations. Millions of dollars are spent every year in marketing efforts to reach potential customers. Internet marketing, email marketing, and advertisements are just a few of the ways that businesses all over are trying to reach their customers in the comfort of their own home or day to day life.

Tradeshows are that rare occurrence of casting your net into a huge school of fish. Because the shows are usually industry specific, the attenders are genuinely interested in your product or service! But here is the real catch, there are many different vendors exhibiting at tradeshows all competing for your business; this is why your tradeshow presence and preparation are so important to a successful tradeshow.

It isn’t particularly hard to stand out from the crowd, but it is extremely important to take the necessary measures to make sure that you do. This infographic “16 Steps to Tradeshow Success” goes through a brief timeline of how you should prepare. If you want to read more in depth and learn some more tips and tricks, be sure to check out our just-launched eBook on Tradeshow Success!

There’s always at least one person in every office that is known for pulling pranks. With April Fool’s Day coming up, you may be interested in what that person may have up their sleeve or what you can do to get them back this year.

Many companies find that their marketing message gets “lost in translation” during international ad campaigns

It can happen to anyone. You’re having a conversation with someone from another part of the country – or maybe even from another nation entirely, and you say something that really makes him or her gasp. What an odd reaction, you say; until you realize that what you were trying to say didn’t translate with the intended meaning. Major corporations around the world have also encountered these types of communication failures – the kind that cause marketing managers to shake their heads in disbelief and customers to question the motives of those in charge of the ads.

Read More

Sometimes, marketing issues arise due to an incorrect translation between an English-speaking company and their international audience. Just ask Pepsi. Their international campaign targeted at the Republic of China touted that “Pepsi brings you back to life!” In China, this translated to “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead!” It is curious that a company as large and savvy as Pepsi wouldn’t ask for a consultation from a Chinese language or culture expert before launching a major ad campaign that promised to resurrect the dead.

Other companies have suffered similar marketing failures, especially those who have tried to jump all over the popularity of newsworthy world events. Kenneth Cole, the great, Brooklyn-based purveyor of trendy clothes and fashion accessories, decided to piggyback on the tumultuous events of the Arab Spring uprising in 2011 by tweeting “Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now available online — KC.” With people dying in the streets and a nation facing severe political unrest, it was obviously considered in bad taste to make light of such a serious situation.

Several other companies, from Chevrolet to Gerber Baby Food, have committed catastrophic faux pas through a variety of marketing campaigns. Many marketing fails have resulted in absolutely hilarious situations – some of them providing lessons and insights into international customs and traditions that don’t end up aligning with Western marketing ploys. Others have emerged as truly insensitive or narrow-minded marketing activities that have tarnished the reputation of several well-known companies.

Whatever the result, there is a seemingly endless list of companies who have committed serious marketing fails over the past few decades. Here is a SlideShare of eight of the top marketing failures that demonstrate just how easy it is for an honest marketing message to get lost in translation – or for a company to offend millions via a simple Tweet.